How Trainers Torch Calories Without Doing Cardio

Any time you work out, you burn calories—which is awesome. But sometimes, like when you've got a weight-loss goal or you're trying to get back on track after the holidays, you want a little extra burn for your exercise buck. That's where these brilliant trainers' favorite moves come in. Check them out, and start incinerating pronto.

The Trainer:Tony Gentilcore, a certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning specialist, and cofounder of Cressey Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts

Why This Move Is Awesome: Gentilcore says the best moves for burning calories are ones that engage a ton of muscles. And the squat is definitely one of them, he says. By adding weight to the barbell or just using the bar as weight, you're getting added challenge and calorie burn.

How to Do It: Hold a barbell across your upper back with an overhand grip and your feet shoulder-width apart (A). Keeping your lower back arched, lower your body as deep as you can by pushing your hips back and bending your knees (B). Pause, then reverse the movement back to the starting position.

Why This Move Is Awesome: The press-and-lunge combination works your upper and lower body at the same time, which means you incorporate more muscle groups than if you were to just work each half separately, says Cosgrove. That makes it a serious calorie burner. You get even more challenge from engaging the left and right sides of your body separately, thanks to pressing on one side and lunging with the opposite leg forward, she says.

How to Do It: Stand with your feet slightly closer than shoulder-width distance apart. Grab a dumbbell with your right hand, and hold it next to your right shoulder, your palm facing in (A). Step backward with your right leg, and lower your body into a reverse lunge as you simultaneously press the dumbbell straight above your shoulder (B). To return to the starting position, lower the dumbbell as you push yourself back up. That's one rep. Switch arms and legs, then repeat.

Why This Move Is Awesome: Lovitt says multi-joint movements like the split jump engage more muscle—and when you engage more muscles, your heart rate goes up, and that amps up the calorie burn. To nail this move and stay injury-free, make sure your body is stable before you explode up to switch legs.

How to Do It: Stand with your feet in a staggered stance, left foot in front of your right, two or three feet apart. Lower your body into a split squat (A). Quickly jump up with enough force that you can switch the direction of your feet in the air (B), landing with your right leg forward. As soon as your feet land, lower your body into a split squat (C). That's one rep.

Why This Move Is Awesome: The kettlebell swing is a super-effective move, says Boyle. It engages lots of muscles, like your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and abdominals, meaning you torch lots of calories. Just remember that you should use a weight that feels challenging but does not inhibit your form, he says.

How to Do It: Grab a kettlebell with both hands, and stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart. Squat down until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor. Keep your lower back slightly arched (A). Immediately stand and swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height (B). As the kettlebell begins to arc back down, bend your knees and squat, swinging the kettlebell between your legs (C). Then swing it back to shoulder height as you stand. That's one rep.

Why This Move Is Awesome: You use major energy to engage your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and upper back while performing this exercise, says Ballantyne. And that energy use translates to calories burned. Bonus: The deadlift can also help improve your posture. See you later, office body.

How to Do It: Grab a barbell with an overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder-width, and hold it at arm's length in front of your hips. Your knees should be bent slightly, and your feet should be about hip-width apart (A). Without changing the bend in your knees, bend at your hips and lower your torso until it's almost parallel to the floor. Your back should stay naturally arched as you lower your body. Keep your core stiff throughout the entire movement (B). Pause, then raise your torso back to the starting position.

Why This Move Is Awesome: This exercise engages your posterior chain—your glutes, hamstrings, and back—which helps fire up your metabolism, says Borden. It also wakes up the stabilizer muscles in your core to help you balance. Plus, working one side of your body at a time is a great way to make sure that you're strengthening both halves of your body equally, she says.

How to Do It: Grab a dumbbell with an overhand grip. Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend at your hips and knees to squat down until the weight is centered between your feet, and keep your arm straight. Your lower back should be slightly arched (A). In a single movement, bend your arm and raise your elbow as high as you can. Try to throw the dumbbell at the ceiling without letting go of it, keeping the weight as close to your body as possible at all times. You should be thrusting the dumbbell forcefully enough that you rise up on your toes. (B). Allow your forearm to rotate up and back from the momentum of the lift, until your arm is straight and your palm is facing forward. Pull your body under the weight, and push your hips forward (C).

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